196—ʿUbayd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad informed us. He said: ʿAli ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yazid al-Riyahi informed us. He said: My father narrated to us. He said: My father narrated to us. He said: Saʿid ibn Saʿid al-Khurasani narrated to us, from Sufyan al-Thawri, from Mughira, from Ibrahim, from ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Yazid, who said: I heard ʿAbd Allah ibn Masʿud say:
“Beware of the newly introduced innovations ⦗137⦘ that people devise. For the religion does not depart from hearts all at once; rather, Satan introduces innovations for a person until he drives faith out of his heart. Soon people will abandon what Allah has made obligatory for them concerning prayer, fasting, what is lawful and what is unlawful, and they will speak about their Lord. Whoever reaches that time, let him flee.”
It was said, “O Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman, where should he flee to?” He replied, “To nowhere.” He said, “He should flee with his heart and his religion, and not sit with any of the people of innovation.”